George Harold Fry

The database page for George Harold Fry

11 Dec 1997 Jim Schueckler, a Vietnam veteran and a National Park Service volunteer at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, assisted during a visit of The Moving Wall to a city near the village of Pavilion, New York, where Specialist Fry is remembered on a town memorial to its only Vietnam War casualty. While there he met and talked with the family of Specialist George Fry. Afterwards, Jim felt compelled to remember George Fry and his family on The Virtual Wall. 14 April 2002 Over four years later, a man who had served with SP4 Fry, Bill Farnie, came across the memorial and noticed a critical error: the database page, which was derived from the official records, listed George Fry's death as due to drowning or suffocation as a result of enemy action. Bill knew better; he was present when George Fry was shot to death during combat operations in the A Shau Valley. What's more, he knew that Fry had been decorated with the Silver Star, America's third highest award for heroism in combat, for the actions which led to his death. And finally, Bill and others from his 506th Infantry unit had been trying to get the official records corrected to reflect the true cause of Specialist George Fry's death: gunshot wounds sustained while in action. Together with another member of Fry's unit, combat medic Richard "Doc" Daniels, Bill undertook to update and correct George Fry's memorial on The Virtual Wall. As a result of their concern for a comrade-in-arms long dead, yet alive still in the memories of family and friends, Specialist Four George Fry is properly honored on The Virtual Wall. George Fry, recipient of the Silver and Bronze Star medals, is REMEMBERED by the men he served with and by the community he served. One of the world's finest men, soldiers and friends who ever existed. Many are alive today because of him. America should be proud of him. I hope his friends and family have the opportunity to read this. I hope they are filled with pride, because they have every right to be so. Richard "Doc" Daniels Combat Medic, D/1/506 Inf

13 May 2002 I was the fourth platoon's Radio-Telephone Operator and fellow RTO of George Fry. The terrain on Hill 996 was very steep, mountainous, and heavily vegetated - all that caused problems with our radio transmissions. As a platoon RTO your responsibility was to try and maintain communications between your platoon leader and the company commander. George as the CO's RTO would maintain contact between the CO and Battalion Command. When under fire an RTO would do his best to keep communications open to call for air/artillery support and medevac of the wounded. During these occasions an RTO's attention was diverted to the task at hand and not necessarily to his personal safety. George went way beyond his responsibility by leaving a relatively safe location to move to an area where there was less cover to re-establish communications between our platoons, CO, and the Battalion Command. By relaying information between these units, George gave us the capacity to call in artillery fire missions, coordinate our assault, and medevac our wounded. George did this after two Battalion RTO's who were with us were killed early in the assault. He knew full well that his action would put him in jeopardy but he put his fellow soldiers before his own life. Indeed our company would have suffered even more than approximately 50% casualties without his actions. George's deed saved many lives including my own. George, may God bless you and may you rest in peace for eternity. Salvador L. Gonzalez slg2k@optonline.net

18 May 2002 I didn't get to know George very well because of him being Captain Ditchfield's RTO, I tried to stay away from the CO as much as possible, and anyone from Delta Company knows why, but I know that I'm probably alive today because of George's actions on Hill 996. He will never be forgotten by me and everyone else who was on the hill 7/11/69. God bless you, George. From a fellow member of Delta Company 1/506, Bill "Frisbee"Farnie frisbee1506@aol.com

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Headquarters 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) APO San Francisco 96383 12 November 1969 GENERAL ORDERS NUMBER 13633 AWARD OF THE SILVER STAR (POSTHUMOUS) 1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced. FRY, GEORGE H. 130-24-0945 SPECIALIST FOUR Company D 1st Battalion (airmobile) 506th Infantry Awarded: The Silver Star (posthumous) Effective month: NA Date Action: 11 July 1969 Theater: Republic of Vietnam Reason: For gallantry in action in the Republic of Vietnam on 11 July 1969. Specialist Fry distinguished himself while serving as a radio-telephone operator in Company D, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 506th Infantry, during combat operations in the A Shau Valley, Republic of Vietnam. At approximately 1230 hours on the cited date, Company D was advancing along a trail when it encountered a heavy volume of enemy small arms, automatic weapons, and rocket propelled greade fire from an unknown size enemy force in well-fortified positions. During the ensuing battle two battalion radio-telephone operators were killed and their radios destroyed. Then Company D lost contact with one of its platoons because of the uneven terrain. Realizing that control was impossible without effective communication, Specialist Fry climbed a nearby ridge in an attempt to make communication with all the company's platoons. He remained fully unprotected from the enemy fire and effectively established radio contact within the company and to the Battalion Command Post, allowing the Company Commander to maneuver his elements and to coordinate with the Battalion S-3 element. Disregarding the hostile fire, Specialist Fry held his ground in order to relay messages. It was while relaying one of Company D's messages that he was mortally wounded by the intense enemy fire. Specialist Fry's personal bravery and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. Authority: By direction of the President of the United States under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 25 July 1963. FOR THE COMMANDER: HUGH A. MACDONALD Colonel, GS Chief of Staff OFFICIAL: DALE H. HAYES LTC, AGC Adjutant General CITATION BY DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL IS PRESENTED POSTHUMOUSLY TO SPECIALIST FOUR GEORGE H. FRY FOR DISTINGUISHING HIMSELF BY OUTSTANDING MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN CONNECTION WITH GROUND OPERATIONS AGAINST A HOSTILE FORCE IN THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM DURING THE PERIOD 22 OCTOBER 1968 TO 11 JULY 1969 THROUGH HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS AND PROFESSIONAL ABILITY, HE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED OUTSTANDING RESULTS. HE WAS QUICK TO GRASP THE IMPLICATIONS OF NEW PROBLEMS WITH WHICH HE WAS FACED AS A RESULT OF THE EVER CHANGING SITUATIONS INHERENT IN A COUNTERINSURGENCY OPERATION AND TO FIND WAYS AND MEANS TO SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS. THE ENERGETIC APPLICATION OF HIS EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE HAS MATERIALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE EFFORTS OF THE UNITED STATES MISSION TO THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM TO ASSIST THAT COUNTRY IN RIDDING ITSELF OF THE COMMUNIST THREAT TO ITS FREEDOM. HIS INITIATIVE, ZEAL, SOUND JUDGEMENT AND DEVOTION TO DUTY HAVE BEEN IN THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND REFLECTS GREAT CREDIT ON HIMSELF, HIS UNIT, AND THE MILITARY SERVICE. During the period 10 through 21 May 1969, the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne, and attached units conducted OPERATION APACHE SNOW in the northern A Shau Valley. George Fry participated in the operation. Along with other US and RVN units, 1st Battalion 506th Infantry was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism in action. Note: the 1/506 Infantry after-action report for APACHE SNOW (in PDF format) is available here.

A Note from The Virtual Wall On 11 July 1969 twenty men from the 506th Infantry died on Hill 996: A Co, 1st Bn, 506th Inf Rgt, 101 Abn Div, USARV SGT Norman H. Bloomfield, Ramah, NM B Co, 1st Bn, 506th Inf Rgt, 101 Abn Div, USARV PFC Alan G. Geissinger, Newark, DE SP4 Joe R. Glassburn, Kokomo, IN SSG Byron D. Stewart, Charleston, WV D Co, 1st Bn, 506th Inf Rgt, 101 Abn Div, USARV CPL Elbert J. Baker, Quitman, GA PFC Mark L. Bruner, Rio Dell, CA CPL Richard T. Corriveau, Fort Kent, ME CPL Thomas P. Fenush, Grassflat, PA PFC Claudie Fowler, New London, CT SP4 George H. Fry, Pavilion, NY CPL Marvin K. Richardson, Hudson, MI PFC Michael F. Rogers, San Bernardino, CA 2LT Dan B. Yarbrough, Tooele, UT HHC, 1st Bn, 506th Inf Rgt, 101 Abn Div, USARV CPL Curtiss Fernhoff, Flushing, NY LTC Arnold C. Hayward, Trenton, NJ PFC Larry K. Motley, French Camp, CA C Co, 2nd Bn, 506th Inf Rgt, 101 Abn Div, USARV PFC Bradley W. Klukas, Winthrop, MN PFC George B. Tear, Wyandotte, MI PFC Allan C. Thibou, New York, NY PFC Russell C. Yost, Flat Rock, MI

The point-of-contact for this memorial is a comrade-in-arms, Richard "Doc" Daniels ashau1@aol.com 11 Dec 1997

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 03/31/2005